Bahrain: Traffic signals improvement to begin next week

Phase one of development works to improve traffic signals on Shaikh Jabir Al Ahmad Al Sabah Highway will commence next week, announced the Ministry of Works, Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning, in partnership with the Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Traffic.

This is to develop urgent solutions to ease traffic flow across the Kingdom, and form part of a package of urgent improvement works designed to alleviate traffic in vital areas.

130,000 vehicles use the Shaikh Jabir Al Ahmad Al Sabah Highway each day, and 10,000 vehicles per hour during peak times. The Ministry of Works confirmed that the works will start with modifications to traffic signals at the Nabih Saleh and Sitra Shopping Mall intersections.

During the course of the works, the traffic signals at Nabih Saleh intersection will be modified from five to three stages. The intersection will be closed to incoming traffic traveling from Manama up to Sitra walkway, and the exit lane will be closed to traffic traveling towards Sitra. The works are anticipated to reduce waiting times at the Nabih Saleh intersection by 45 per cent, and increase the capacity of the intersection by 20 per cent.

The traffic signals at Sitra Shopping Mall Intersection will also be modified from five to four stages. Outbound traffic traveling from Sitra Mall towards Manama will be merged with outbound traffic traveling from Salman Ahmed Al Fateh Highway (Industrial Area), increasing capacity by 10 per cent and reducing waiting times by 37 per cent.

Alternative routes will be available for road users traveling through both intersections. Incoming traffic traveling from Manama towards Sitra Shopping Mall should take the u-turn at the signal and return to the Sitra walkway entrance. Those exiting from Sitra walkway towards Sitra should make a u-turn at Um Al Hassam signal.